Principal Radio Frequency (RF) Engineer

About Us

Red Cell Partners is an incubation firm building and investing in rapidly scalable technology-led companies that are bringing revolutionary advancements to market in three distinct practice areas: healthcare, cyber, and national security. United by a shared sense of duty and deep belief in the power of innovation, Red Cell is developing powerful tools and solutions to address our Nation’s most pressing problems.

About the Company

Backed by Red Cell Partners, the Company is a newly formed startup poised to revolutionize advanced communications across defense, telecommunications, aerospace, and other sectors. The Company is initially focused on commercializing a university-developed, groundbreaking plasma-enhanced electrically small antenna (Plasma Enhanced-Electrically Small Antenna) technology that offers significant advantages over conventional antennas, including:

• Ultra-wide bandwidth.
• Electrically small form factor.
• High power handling capabilities.
• Potential for multi-band agility and reconfigurability.

About the Principal RF Engineer / Lead Architect Role:

In this role, you will be a key technical leader, driving the development and architecture of our antenna systems. You will leverage your deep expertise in RF engineering to create innovative solutions and guide multi-disciplinary teams.

Technical Roadmap & Architecture:

• Develop the technical roadmap for RF components and systems, aligning with the company's product vision.
• Architect system-level solutions for plasma-enhanced antenna technology, focusing on performance, scalability, and reliability.

R&D Leadership:

• Lead research and development efforts for RFICs, high-power amplifiers, and advanced antenna systems.
• Perform advanced modeling and simulation to optimize system performance.

System Design & Integration:

• Lead the design and integration of RF modules and subsystems.
• Troubleshoot complex RF systems and identify solutions to challenging technical problems.

Mentorship & Guidance:

• Mentor junior engineers, fostering technical growth and excellence within the team.
• Guide multi-disciplinary teams in the development of innovative RF solutions.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Interface with stakeholders and customers to understand their needs and translate them into technical requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless system integration.

Innovation & Development:

• Identify new applications and use cases for core technology.
• Evaluate complementary technologies and acquisition opportunities.
• Manage intellectual property strategy and patent portfolio.
• Foster innovation culture and technical excellence.

Systems engineering:

• Lead systems engineering that integrates electrical engineering and applied plasma physics end-to-end—RF front-ends, plasma ignition/sustainment, controls, packaging, power, and environmental robustness.
• Architect modular designs enabling upgrades and software-defined antenna behaviors; drive manufacturability with contract partners.

Technical execution

• Lead technical development for the company’s primary and secondary products, from concept to prototype to qualification.
• Own rapid prototyping cycles: plan experiments, instrument tests, analyze results, and iterate. Build and run a lean lab environment that balances velocity with rigor.
• Address key challenges in plasma ignition & sustainment, thermal/power management, environmental robustness, and system reliability.

Regulatory & mission readiness

• Drive compliance pathways (e.g., FCC/ETSI, MIL-STD-461) and coordinate with test labs and government partners to qualify systems for operational use.
• Act as the senior technical interface to DoD/USG stakeholders and industry partners; communicate clearly and credibly with non-technical decision-makers.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field required; Master’s or Ph.D. strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in RF engineering, with a focus on antenna systems and RF circuit design.
• Deep understanding of RF principles, electromagnetic theory, and antenna design.
• Extensive experience with RF simulation and modeling tools.
• Proven ability to lead complex technical projects and guide multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience with transitioning technology from research to commercial products.
• Understanding of defense, aerospace, or telecommunications product requirements.
• Hands-on experience with instrumentation (VNAs, spectrum analyzers, high-voltage power supplies), data capture, and model-to-measurement correlation.
• Comfort with ambiguity and experimental hardware; disciplined approach to documentation and test plans.
• Experience with software-defined radio interfaces and controls for adaptive RF systems.

Nice to have:

• Familiarity with defense certification pathways (FCC/ETSI, MIL-STD-461) and scaling technologies across TRLs.
• Prior work on SBIR/STTR proposals or program execution.
• Active security clearance or eligibility.
• Experience with dual-use technology commercialization.
• Knowledge of Department of Defense go-to-market strategies.
• Familiarity with relevant industry standards and regulatory landscape.
• Startup or entrepreneurial experience.
• Previous experience with series A or earlier startups.
• Work history in national security, cyber security, or defense.
• Located in or near Southern California 

Benefits:

• 100% employer paid, comprehensive health care including medical, dental, and vision for you and your family.
• Paid maternity and paternity for 14 weeks at employees' normal pay.
• Unlimited PTO, with management approval.
• Opportunities for professional development and continued learning.
• Occasional travel to our offices in Washington D.C or alternative locations to collaborate with your team in person.
• Optional 401K, FSA, and equity incentives available.
• Mental health benefits are available through Tara Mind.

Salary Range: $175,000-225,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience, skills, and other factors.

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We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer: You’ll receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.